Subject: RE: [PATCH v2 2/4] *: use singular they in comments

From: Felipe Contreras <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2021 10:41:45 -0500

Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget wrote:
> From: Derrick Stolee <[email-masked]>
> Replace these uses with "they/them" which universally includes all
> potential readers.

Not me, and others on the mailing list who are being ignored.

I guess only some people are worthy of "inclusion".

> Helped-by: Felipe Contreras <[email-masked]>
> Signed-off-by: Derrick Stolee <[email-masked]>
> ---
>  commit.c    | 2 +-
>  config.h    | 2 +-
>  date.c      | 2 +-
>  pathspec.h  | 2 +-
>  strbuf.h    | 2 +-
>  wt-status.c | 2 +-
>  6 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/commit.c b/commit.c
> index 8ea55a447fa9..143f472c0f24 100644
> --- a/commit.c
> +++ b/commit.c
> @@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ static void handle_signed_tag(struct commit *parent, struct commit_extra_header
>  	/*
>  	 * We could verify this signature and either omit the tag when
>  	 * it does not validate, but the integrator may not have the
> -	 * public key of the signer of the tag he is merging, while a
> +	 * public key of the signer of the tag being merged, while a

This one is OK.

>  	 * later auditor may have it while auditing, so let's not run
>  	 * verify-signed-buffer here for now...
>  	 *
> diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
> index 9038538ffdcb..7107b41a8933 100644
> --- a/config.h
> +++ b/config.h
> @@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ void git_configset_init(struct config_set *cs);
>   * Parses the file and adds the variable-value pairs to the `config_set`,
>   * dies if there is an error in parsing the file. Returns 0 on success, or
>   * -1 if the file does not exist or is inaccessible. The user has to decide
> - * if he wants to free the incomplete configset or continue using it when
> + * if they want to free the incomplete configset or continue using it when

Yet again a semantically singular antecedent.

Doesn't sound grammatically correct to me.

>   * the function returns -1.
>   */
>  int git_configset_add_file(struct config_set *cs, const char *filename);
> diff --git a/date.c b/date.c
> index f9ea807b3a9f..2da0f80b9bfa 100644
> --- a/date.c
> +++ b/date.c
> @@ -908,7 +908,7 @@ int parse_expiry_date(const char *date, timestamp_t *timestamp)
>  		/*
>  		 * We take over "now" here, which usually translates
>  		 * to the current timestamp.  This is because the user
> -		 * really means to expire everything she has done in
> +		 * really means to expire everything they have done in

Semantically singular antecedent.

>  		 * the past, and by definition reflogs are the record
>  		 * of the past, and there is nothing from the future
>  		 * to be kept.
> diff --git a/pathspec.h b/pathspec.h
> index fceebb876f7a..6e84099bea22 100644
> --- a/pathspec.h
> +++ b/pathspec.h
> @@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ struct pathspec {
>   *
>   * A similar process is applied when a new pathspec magic is added. The designer
>   * lifts the GUARD_PATHSPEC restriction in the functions that support the new
> - * magic. At the same time (s)he has to make sure this new feature will be
> + * magic. At the same time they have to make sure this new feature will be

Semantically singular antecedent.

>   * caught at parse_pathspec() in commands that cannot handle the new magic in
>   * some cases. grepping parse_pathspec() should help.
>   */
> diff --git a/strbuf.h b/strbuf.h
> index 223ee2094af8..b543e354f0ed 100644
> --- a/strbuf.h
> +++ b/strbuf.h
> @@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ const char *strbuf_join_argv(struct strbuf *buf, int argc,
>   *
>   * In order to facilitate caching and to make it possible to give
>   * parameters to the callback, `strbuf_expand()` passes a context pointer,
> - * which can be used by the programmer of the callback as she sees fit.
> + * which can be used by the programmer of the callback as they see fit.

Another semantically singular antecedent.

But this one has an easy fix:

  can be used by programmers of the callback as they see fit.

It's more weird, but at least grammatically correct.

>   */
>  typedef size_t (*expand_fn_t) (struct strbuf *sb,
>  			       const char *placeholder,
> diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
> index 42b673571696..bd7ef3e4fd02 100644
> --- a/wt-status.c
> +++ b/wt-status.c
> @@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ static void wt_status_collect_changes_index(struct wt_status *s)
>  		 * mode by passing a command line option we do not ignore any
>  		 * changed submodule SHA-1s when comparing index and HEAD, no
>  		 * matter what is configured. Otherwise the user won't be
> -		 * shown any submodules she manually added (and which are
> +		 * shown any submodules they manually added (and which are

Semantically singular antecedent.

So only 1 out of 6 was correct.

-- 
Felipe Contreras